Are sunflower and budgie seeds okay for degus? What should they eat?

Question

I have had two female degus for about 3 years now and haven't usually had any problems with what I'm feeding them, but due to a communication error I have ended up with sunflower seeds and budgie seeds (as shown in the photo) and was just wondering whether they are ok to feed to degus or if I should stay clear of them and get some different feed for them. Thanks in advance.

Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM · Accepted Answer

Thanks for your question about your degus, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful. I would not recommend feeding either of these products to degus, as they can lead to dental disease and gastrointestinal distress. Degus are meant to have a high fiber, low nutrient diet, so the majority of their diet should be hay. You can also provide them with a small amount (approximately 1 tablespoon/degu/day) of chinchilla pellets, which are typically alfalfa based. In addition to this, you can also add dark leafy greens (approximately 1 cup/degu/day). Examples of these include leaf lettuces, cilantro, parsley, arugula, dandelion greens. I do not recommend feeding any dairy, sugar, fruits, muesli, or seeds to degus. I hope this gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Are sunflower and budgie seeds okay for degus? What should they eat?

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